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I've only just started with tinnitus (about ten days now) but am really struggling to cope with it. I've tried staying positive and I know there are lots of people out there with lots more problems than me. That said, I just can't seem to escape this noise in my head and I feel like I'm going insane. It just dominates everything I do and I can't imagine ever being able to enjoy anything again. Any coping strategies would be greatly appreciated.

How long have you had it for. Within the first ten days you have a window to use steroids which offer a better percent of success. Youll have to read the threads and find what helps you. Stop salt, sugar, greasy and spicy food. Try to relay
the more excited you get the worse for the condition. Walks teas without caffeine.
love,
rr

Hello... I'm new too... I only have had T for 11 weeks now.. But I can tell you it does get better... You are still early like me... Much earlier and your May just resolved soon.. But if it does not believe you will be ok... After 2 months with T I have been able to sleep without making it .. I still have this bad days and I wish I did not have T but I've had good ones too... It is a bumpy road.. But life alone is bumpy as well.. Just keep faith and be positive as much as you can (I know it's hard) I'm not always positive but we will be fine ... Got to the ent and see all the doctors you need to see to rule out any other conditions.. As you know T is a symptom .. God mAy give you peace strength and joy in the middle of this storm...

Weclome to TT support board. You are at the right place as many of us had been where you are, dealing with a new alien experience of having seemingly endless ringing. It is the most difficult suffering phase because the body is considering this T sound a threat, and failing to treat it, the brain just went havoc with mental sufferings.

Remember, when T is new, it usually traumatizes its victims to the point that the normal parasympathetic nervous system is taken over by the limbic system which functions in 'fight or flight' mode, and things will appear a lot worse than they are. You will be easily scared and the brain will zoom in on any bad or threatening sensation and magnify its significance. You will be flooded with distorted thoughts at this stage, especially 'catastrophic thinking' about the future (like my future is doomed or there is no future), as well as 'all or nothing thinking' (like my life is not worth it with T ringing). Beware of these thoughts. They are called cognitive distortions, a term used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and they can create havoc in people mental suffering if not challenged. Our reaction to T can determine the degree of suffering or its intrusiveness. So we need to understand where these thoughts come from, defuse and counter them as much as possible. By doing so, we gradually remove the fear or phobia of T and then meaningful habituation will begin to happen over time. If it helps you to cope with a new T better, here is a TT thread with good advice for new T sufferers in step by step instruction. It also comes with masking tracks as well as a link to the sleep thread and the success stories. Try read up as many success stories as you can. Hopefully you can learn something from the posters, and Rina above just confirms that your T can get better over time. Don't despair and keep staying positive. God bless.

It gets better believe it or not. The first couple weeks/months are the hardest. Eventually you will learn to live with it and go back to what you were doing before. It could also go away. For me 6 months later, I'm having good days where I can barely hear it and bad days where I hear it all day long. I am at the point where I just dont care anymore. I wont let it ruin my life. I have learned to cherish the good days where I can barely notice it and just deal with the days where its loud. After time people can learn to tune it out completely, but you have to start the road to recovery and see where you end up. Fear and anxiety will fuel the tinnitus and make it louder and seem worst than it is. You have to start fighting. The sooner you start the sooner you will get better. We have all been where you are at, but now I know how to beat it.

I forgot about coping:
Don't let it ruin your life. Think positive thoughts. Stay away from worst case scenarios. Stay away from negative thoughts. These will only lead you down a path that makes it worst. I know its hard, but you have start now. I also tried deep breathing, positive imagery, counting backwards from 100, clearing my thoughts of negative scenarios, exercising, and clearing any thoughts of tinnitus at all.

The less you think about it the faster it no longer becomes a nuisance, which will lead to more better days.